Car-coupling



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-our improved car coupling.

UNITED lSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM W. ROEHM AND JOSEPH SCHWEITZER, JR., OF AUGUSTA, KENTUCKY.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 507,932, dated October 31, 1893.

Application filed June. 22. 1893.

To @ZZ whom t may concern.-

Be it known that we, WILLIAM W. ROEHM and JOSEPH SoHwEITzER, J r., citizens of the United States, residing at Augusta, in the county of Bracken and State vof Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Car-Couplings; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to car couplings, and it consists of certain novel features hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same parts are indicated byv the same letters and figures throughout the several views.

Figure l represents a side elevation of'a part of a locomotive, the tender attached thereto, and a part of. the first car in a train, the tender and the car being provided with Fig. 2 represents a horizontal section through the drawhead above the link,'and looking down. Fig. 3 represents a rear view of a cary fitted with the improved coupler. Fig. 4 represents a central vertical section through two cars, and two car couplings, just before the cars come together for coupling. Fig. 5 represents a detail view of the front of one of the improved drawheads. Fig. 6 represents a perspective view of one of 'the improved links detached, .and turned upside down; andpFig. 7 represents a perspective view of one of the improved link holders or guides.

A represents the tender attached to the locomotive on a railway train.

B and B represent cars.

C represents the engineers cab in rear of the locomotive. Y

D and D' represent drawbars which are made hollow and are preferably constructed with bell-shaped mouths d', and two horizontalplates d, open at the sides, and connected together vat the rear end by the cross piece d4. These drawbars are provided with slots do, into which the supporting bolts E pass, the said slots are` oblong as shown in Fig. 2 so that the drawbar may yield backward to bufling strains. The drawbar is also slotted on its lower side as at d2, and has a groove d3 cut in the lupper side of the lower jaw of the bellshaped mouth d', for purposes hereinafter to be described.

F represents the tailbolt connecting the coupler and the car in the usual way. v

H represents the link, which is bifurcated at its forward end as shown in Figs. 2 and 6. The legs h are arrow-headed as shown at h', and have hooks h2 on the outersides of said heads.

The coupling pin K passes through the pin holes ho in the link, and the said pin hole is made somewhat wider than the pin K so that the link H may have a slight lateral play about the pin.

h3 represents a guide lug onptlie bottom o the link, which engages in the groove d3 in the drawbar, and so centers the link in said drawbar, rendering it more convenient to drop the coupling pin K into the pin hole ho.

M represents a link holder or guide having an upper part perforated as at M0 and adapted to slide up and down through a slot set transversely in the bottom of the drawhead, and a lower portion m bent at right angles to the said upper portion, and provided with pin holes m0 adapted to travel up and down on the stud M projecting beneath the drawhead. The rear end of the link passes through the perforated upper portion MO and is held between the sides 'm2, and the top and bottom pieces m3 and m of the said guides.

I represents the carrier iron supporting the forward end of the drawhead, which may be constructed in the usual or in' any other preferred way.

N and N represent spring plungers having curved heads n, and guide lugs fn. at the lower side of the rear end thereof engaging in the guide groove d5 in the base of the drawbar. Projecting downward from these spring plungers, a guide screw n2 engages in the slot d2 in the bottom of the drawbar, and compressed between this screw n2 and the rear face of the slot d2 a spring Pis provided. A plate n.0 is then secured over the bottom of the slot d2 and keeps out dust cinders, and the like.

ICO

Q represents a bent lifting bar, and R represents the frame to which the arm for lifting the crank pin is pivoted.

1 represents a chain connecting the coupling pin to the arm 2 pivoted at 3 to the frame R, which arm is tripped by the portion 4E of the lifting bar, which portion is like a crank pin joined by the crank 5 to the straight parts of the bar which are journaled at 6, and provided at 7 with bent arms to which the handles 8 are attached. i

9 represents a cord which passes over rollers 10, 11, and 12, on the tender as shown in Fig. 1, and terminates in a handle 13, by means of which the coupling pinmmay be lifted, and the cars uncoupled from the loco motive.

The operation of the device is as follows: Assuming that there is nolink in either drawhead, the link I-I is put into one drawhead and through the perforation M(l in the guide plate M, being centered in the said drawhead by the guide lug 7b3 engaging in the groove d3. As soon as the pin K is in line with the hole ho the said pin is dropped and the coupler is ready for coupling, as shown in Fig. 4:. Now the various parts being in the position shown in Fig.4, if the cars come together, the two heads h of the link will enter the drawbar D', and will be swung together somewhat by the contracting sides of the drawhead,strik ing the rounded face n of the spring plunger N', pressing it backward. As soon as the hooks thave passed beyond the closed sides of the drawhead, they will spring out into the position shown in Fig. 2, and at the same time the head 'n of the plunger N will spring forward between the two heads h', locking them in position, and preventing them from being shaken loose. Should it be desired to uneonple, the pin K is lifted, either by one of the handles S, or by the handle 13 and cord 9, and the closed end of the link is readily drawn out of the drawbar, leaving the bifurcated end still locked in position. As soon as the link is drawn out of either one of the drawbars, the link guide M falls down into the position shown in Fig. 5, where it is out of the way and not likely to be inj ured should one of the ordinary forms of link be forcedA into the drawbar as in coupling on another car. Should it be desired to remove the link Il when it is locked in the drawbar by means of the hooks h2, but after the other drawbar has been detached therefrom, this may be readily done by the train hand who inserts one hand in the mouth of the drawhead, raises the link so as to clear the plunger, he then draws thc link straight back over the plunger and through the open sides of the drawhead.

It will be evident that the herein described coupling will operate automatically, and that there is no necessity for anyone to go between the cars at or near the time of coupling them together.

Owing to the resilient nature of our improved link, the herein described coupler is especially adapted for coupling on curves.

The various advantages of the improved coupler would readily suggest themselves to any one skilled in the art.

It will be obvious that many modifications might be made which could be used without departing from the spirit of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a car coupling, the combination with a link provided with a pin hole near the rear end thereof, and two legs made of resilient material and terminating in tapering heads and hooks at the front end of said link, of a drawhead and coupling pin connected to the rear end of said link; and adraw-bar with an open bell-mouthed drawhead and lateral` openings in rear of said drawhead, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. In a car coupling, the combination with a drawbar provided with an open bell-mouthed drawhead and a guide groove in the lower jaw of said bell mouth, of a link provided with a pin hole near the rear end thereof, a guide lug on the lowerside of said link adapted to engage in said guide groove, and two legs made of resilient material and terminating in tapering heads and hooks at the front end of said link, of a drawhead and coupling pin connected to the rear end of said link; and a drawbar with an open bell-mouthed draw head and lateral openings in rear of said drawhead, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. In a car coupling, the combination with a drawbar provided with an open bell-mouthed drawhead and lateral openings in rear of said drawhead, of a bifurcated link having legs made of resilient material with hooked ends to said legs adapted to spring out through said lateral openings and to engage in rear of said drawhead, and a spring plunger in rear of said drawhead and adapted to be pressed back by said hooked ends until they spring outward and then to be pressed forward between the said hooked ends and lock the same, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4:. In a car coupling, the combination with a link provided with a pin hole near the rear end thereof, and two legs made of resilient material and terminating in tapering'heads and hooks at the front end of said link, of a drawhead and coupling pin connected to the rear end of said link; and a drawbar with an open bellmouthed drawhead and lateral openings in rear of said drawhead, and a spring plunger in rear of said drawhead and adapted to be pressed back by said hooked ends until they spring outward and then to be pressed forward between said hooked ends and lock the same, substantially as and t'or the purposes described.

5. In acar coupling,.tl1`e combination with a drawbar provided 'with an open bell-mouthed IIO drawhead and a guide groove in thelower jaw of said bellrmouth, of a link provided with a pin hole near the rear end, a guide lug on the lower side of said 1in k adapted to engage in said guide groove, and two legs made of resilient material and terminating in tapering heads and hooks at the front end of-said link, of a drawhead and coupling pin connected to the rear end of said link; and a drawbar with an open bell-mouthed drawhead and lateral openings in rear of said drawhead, and a spring plunger in rear of said drawhead and adapted to be pressed back by said hooked ends until they spring outward and then to be pressed forward between said hooked ends and lock the same, substantially as and for the'prposes described.

'6. In a car coupling, the combination with a link provided with'a` pin hole near the vreary end thereof, and two`legs made of resilient material and terminating in tapering heads and hooks at the frontend of said link', of a drawhead and coupling pin connected to the rear end of said link; a transverse slot in the base of'said drawhead, a'guide plate M per-l forated as at M and movingvertically'in said slot, and havingV a bent arm mA with pin hole m0; a stud M attached to said drawhead and engaging in said pin hol'e m0; 4and a drawbar with an open bell-mouthed drawhead and lat-v eral openings in'rearof said drawhead, substantially'as'and f or the purposes' described.

7 In a car coupling, the combination with a drawbar provided with an open bell-mouthed drawhead and a guide groove in the lower jaw-of said bell mouth, a transverse slot in perforated as at Mo and moving vertically in said slot, and having a bent arm m, with pin hole 'm0,' 'a stud M attached to said drawhead 'and engaging in said pin hole m0; of a link provided with a pin hole near the rear end thereof, a guide lug on the lower side of said link adapted to engage in said guide groove, 'and two legs made of resilient material and terminating in tapering heads and hooks at the front end of said link, of a drawhead and coupling pin connected' to the rear end of said link; and adrawbar with an open bellmouthed drawhead and lateral openings in rear of said drawhead, substantially as for the purposes described.

havingprojecting portion 4, bent portions 5, arms 7, and handles 8; an arm R projecting from the car and pivoted at 3, a chain 2 connect'ing said pivoted arm and the coupling pin, and al cord 9, pulleys l0, 11, and 12, and handle 13,substantially as and for the purposes described;

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM W. ROEHM, JOSEPH SCHWEIrlZllR,` JR.' Witnesses:

L.' P. KNOEDLER,

. JOHN M. HARBEsoN.

the-base of said drawhead, a guide plate M and f 8.-Ina car coupling, a pin liftingdevice comprisinga Abent bar Q pivoted at 6, and 

